Here’s How Many Times Fans Streamed Kanye’s 'Hey Mama' Just To Spite Taylor Swift’s Album Release
Taylor Swift’s brand new studio album Reputation officially dropped on Nov. 10. And to show how much the hip-hop community doesn’t care about the pop star or her music, fans launched "Hey Mama Day" to turn the attention to the anniversary of the death of Kanye West’s mother. In celebration of Donda West, who passed away unexpectedly in 2007, fans streamed Kanye’s track “Hey Mama” on repeat for the entire day. They played the single so much, it reportedly racked up more than 700,000 streams.
“Hey Mama Day” was originally launched in an attempt to sabotage Swift’s first-day sales. The singer’s team said her album’s release was not connected to West’s death, but it looks like fans weren't buying it. According to a report from The Ringer, Yeezy fans bumped the song’s total streaming plays on Spotify from 23.6 million to 24.3 million within a 24-hour period. The track reportedly peaked fan interest on Genius as well, with an average of 150-200 daily pageviews in the past week, the start-up company reports.
While it may not have put a damper on Swift’s album sales, nor did the song find its way back to the Billboard charts, it shows the impact of a social media campaign or movement.
“Hey Mama” originally appeared on Kanye’s 2005 album Late Registration. It details his close relationship with his mother. Two years after the song’s release, Donda West died due to complications from a plastic surgery procedure.